5 things we learned from Flyers' lackluster 2-0 loss to Blue Jackets

As the NHL playoffs near, the intensity of the play typically grows, and that was evident Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center, where offense was sparse and goaltending ruled.

The Flyers peppered Columbus Blue Jackets' goalie (and former Flyer) Sergei Bobrovsky with 37 shots but couldn't get the puck past the defending Vezina Trophy winner in a 2-0 loss.

After two shutout losses, the slumping Flyers haven't scored a non-shootout goal since the final seconds of Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins. Suddenly, the team that rattled off five consecutive victories in mid-March against some of the top teams in the league has now lost three in a row.

Here' a look at Thursday night's defeat:

1. SLUGGISH START: Whether it was a hangover effect from Tuesday night's deflating 1-0 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues or rust from Wednesday's day off, the Flyers came out unusually sluggish for a game with significant playoff implications against the fourth-place Blue Jackets. Columbus outworked the Flyers for loose pucks, and played with more energy early and in the third period. In three first-period power plays, the Flyers mustered just two shots.

2. MASON TAKES STEP BACK: Steve Mason likely won't be winning the Vezina Trophy this season, but he had been playing some of the best goaltending the Flyers had seen in a while. But he struggled Thursday night. James Wisniewski opened the scoring for the Blue Jackets with 2:57 remaining in the second period on a Columbus power play. The Blue Jackets were outshot, but they made the most of quality chances.

3. MILESTONE WIN: The Blue Jackets were 0-5-1 in Philadelphia since the franchise's inception in 2000. The Blue Jackets moved closer to clinching their second-ever playoff berth. They closed within two points of the Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

4. SPECIAL TEAMS NOT SO SPECIAL: The Flyers' 10th-ranked power play and fifth-rated penalty-kill units, which had been effective lately, faltered. The Flyers failed to generate many chances on the power play, going 0-for-4, and they couldn't clear the puck on the penalty kill. So, even a 1-for-4 performance by the Blue Jackets on the power play was too much to overcome.

5. PLAYOFF RACE TIGHTENING: The Flyers wasted a chance to separate themselves from the Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Heading into Thursday's game the Flyers held a four-point advantage over Columbus but following the loss have given themselves little margin for error in the race for third in the Metropolitan Division with the race tightening to 87 points-to-85 with just six games remaining. The Flyers trail the Rangers by three points.